


Kubo in the Moon Kingdom

by CandyAshes



Category: Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
Genre: Gen, Movie Spoilers, Post-Movie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-24
Updated: 2016-08-24
Packaged: 2018-08-10 17:17:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7854061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CandyAshes/pseuds/CandyAshes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Kubo defeated the Moon King, he thought he is finally safe and with his parents at peace in the afterlife. However, new celestial and supernatural threats are out for his blood and he must team up with an old enemy to be safe. ((Post-Movie))</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kubo in the Moon Kingdom

**Chapter 1**

In a tiny Japanese village so far from the huge towns, a strange incident occurred during the Obon Festival. Nearly all the village houses had been destroyed by unexpected supernatural dark forces. People were injured but surprisingly there was no deaths. Witnesses who were at the festival saw the perpetrators were two women clad in black clothes, feathery cloaks on their shoulders, and their faces concealed by white Noh masks. The two mysterious women were in pursuit of a young local boy who then disappeared afterwards.

In the same village, there was a popular storyteller and whenever he plays his shamisen, his magic brought his colorful papers to life and form into quirky origami of different shapes and characters. This storyteller is the same boy who escaped the two women but returned to the village days later to defeat the Moon King.

His name is Kubo.

As a storyteller, Kubo knows whenever a tale ends, a new one begins.

A year passed since the Moon King's defeat, the tiny village was restored back to its former humble state. The villagers, disliking unwanted attention by nosy and overtly curious outsiders, claimed their homes was struck by natural disaster rather than supernatural forces. Who would believe them anyway?

One early morning, Kubo woke and saw it was almost sunrise outside the window. He gazed around the room of his new home. He and his grandfather went to stay with Kameyo at an old cottage near the beach and a good distance walk from the town. The floor is wooden and it creaks a little under one's foot. The walls are rather thin so cold wind always come through but there is a warm hearth in the middle of the room which still has tiny embers glowing in the ashes. Kubo didn't mind since this place was hundred times better sleeping on hard, cave floor.

Kubo adjusted his only eye in the semi-darkness and found his grandmother still sleeping in her bed. The bed next to her was empty, indicating his grandfather must have woken up earlier. Kubo remembered what day it is today.

The Obon festival has arrived again and Kubo looked forward to it, as well as his adopted grandparents Kameyo and Raiden. While Kameyo was a regular old woman, Raiden used to be the powerful but cold Moon King. However, after Kubo struck him down with his shamisen, Raiden was transformed into a normal human with all his memories wiped. All the villagers, rather than cast a helpless man out, decided to help him rebuild a new life hoping he will have a change of heart. Kubo was reluctant at first but he gave in and it took him weeks to fully accept his grandfather.

It was Kameyo who gave the former Moon King the name "Raiden" after her late husband, and it was Kubo who told his granfather stories about what he did and how he was a good man. Raiden believed them, surprised and saddened that he could not remember those memories.

"Kameyo--I mean, grandmother," Kubo called out to her as he gently shook her shoulders. "The Obon Festival is here!"

Kameyo sat up, awake. "Kubo, it's too early," she yawned. "At my delicate age, I need more beauty sleep. Where's Raiden?"

"I think grandfather went to town to get a head start," Kubo replied. "Whoever knew the former scary Moon King has a talent of growing and selling radishes."  
"I hope he saves a spot for us at the festival," Kameyo said. "My body's gotten a bit slow lately."

After putting away their beds and eating breakfast, Kubo and Kameyo left their home and made their way down a road through a rice field which leads to the village. Kubo carried with him his shamisen and a small bag full of fresh papers in his back. Several farmers are tending the crops and they greeted Kubo.

"We can't wait to see your little show later, Kubo!" One of them exclaimed. "Got any new stories?"

"Sorry, no spoilers here," Kubo chuckled as he passed through the fields.

"Will it have the fire-breathing chicken?" Kameyo asked. "You know it's my favorite."

"Er..." Kubo was hesitant. "I think everyone's have gotten bored with that, grandmother."

Kameyo sighed with mild disappointment. "Critics."

"But I think I have something you might like!" Kubo suggested hopefully.

"Oh, I will always love anything you create, Kubo," Kameyo smiled. "You are my and your grandfather's joy."

Kubo wanted to smile too but he was suddenly nervous.

"It's been one year since the Moon King became human," he said quietly. "Do you think grandfather really change?"

"To be honest, back then it felt a little wrong to take advantage of an old man with no memories," Kameyo said. "But he seems happier and kinder than what he was before, right?"

"I guess it's all good in the end," Kubo shrugged.

He stared at his shamisen; two of its strings belonged to his parents, one from his mother's hair and one from his father's bow. These two strings representing the memories of his parents. The third string came from his own hair, symbolizing his love for his parents. Kubo has never replaced these strings out of respect for his family.

Kubo and Kameyo passed by a thin fox with reddish-yellow fur who didn't seem to notice the two humans.

"Huh, I didn't know foxes can be found in these parts," Kameyo muttered with intrigued. "And it doesn't look wild at all."

From the corner of his eye, Kubo thought he saw the fox moved its head and grinned. Kubo quickly turned around and saw the fox has disappeared. He looked sideways but all he could see are fields of rice and a lone scarecrow nearby.

"Kubo, what's with the hold up?" Kameyo called out to him. She had walked ahead of her grandson and waited for him. "C'mon, the festival will be starting soon!"

Thinking it was his mind's trick, Kubo walked away. As soon he was gone, the scarecrow reverted back into the fox.

Somewhere beyond the Far Lands was another village, smaller than Kubo's village. One villager is a young lady named Yuriko. She lives alone after both her parents have died and everyone found it odd that she has not considered getting married. Yuriko didn't care and prefers to spend the rest of her days taking care of her turnips and hunting.  
When she was a little girl, Yuriko has learned of an abandoned castle existing near the village and she heard stories about a great samurai lord battling a celestial being. She doesn't know if the stories are exactly true but she has been to the crumbling ruins during her hunting treks and know a great battle has taken place.

Last year, she discovered a body of a woman lying in the bamboo groves near the ruins. The woman was unconscious but she was alive. A faint long scar was found between her eyebrows but there was no signs of a wound. Yuriko took the woman back to her home and nursed her back to health. Yuriko asked lengthy questions about the woman's odd choice of black clothing and a feathery cloak. Unfortunately, the woman seemed to have no recollection of her past, not even her original name. Yuriko felt sorry for her and asked her to stay and live with her since the woman where else to go.

The mysterious woman agreed, though she felt a little disgust working with a commoner for some reason.

Months passed and the mysterious woman, now called "Akari", has gotten used living in the village. She kept to herself and despite being silent most of the time, she gave an unearthly aura which many people avoided her. Yuriko even noticed how sophisticated she talked, walked and eat; she wondered if Akari came from a noble family before she lost her family. Akari proved herself to be naturally adept at hunting when she managed to take down a wild boar with a bow at such skillful ease. Yuriko at first found herself intimidated by how elegant and brutal Akari can be, but she became more interested and desired to help Akari recover her memories.

On the night before the Bon Festival, Yuriko woke up to find Akari missing from her bed. She knows where she went.

In her simple bed clothes, Yuriko dashed out and ran into the woods to find her friend. She finally reached the ruins of the Beetle Clan castle. The walls and roofs were overgrown with wild bamboo. Torn banners that hung on the walls displayed the beetle crest. Weeds climbed the bricks. There were broken weapons and samurai armor on the ground but most had been stolen long ago by vandals. No one has been living in the castle for a long time but Yuriko believes it was now haunted by spirits.

She came to the courtyard and standing in the middle was Akari. Akari was standing still, hear head reached back as she stared at the full moon above her. With her long flowing black hair, beautiful fair skin and a strange aura, Akari looked like a spirit. Yuriko cautiously walked to her side and took her hand.

"Akari? It's me... Hello?" she called out timidly. "W-what happened? Are you crying?"

Akari snapped out of her trance. For some reason, her eyes were filled with tears.

"I didn't realize I was doing that," Akari mumbled and wiped the tears away.

"You've been doing this every time there's a full moon," Yuriko said. "You keep staring at it and then wandered off. It scares me."

"I can't explain why, but... I feel like the moon is calling me," Akari said, frowning.

Yuriko looked confused.

Akari then sighed. "It was probably my imagination."

"Yeah, you must have been working so hard you're imagining things," Yuriko joked. "Akari, you say strange stuff, but that's why I like you! Now, let's go. This place is so creepy..."

Akari followed Yuriko, though she couldn't help shake this nagging feeling that this castle and courtyard seemed familiar to her.

Unbeknownst to her, a fluffy cat wearing a white coat walked out of the shadows. It looked like a normal cat except for its tail which has been split into two down in the middle. The cat's eyes burned like fire and it purred deviously, finally found its next prey and recognizing one the twin daughters of the Moon King.

**Author's Note:**

> ((I saw Kubo and the Two Strings days ago and I fell in love with the story. However, I feel I want to see more about the Moon Kingdom and other characters aka Kubo's celestial family. There will be mentions of mythical Japanese legends and creatures, oh--and spoilers for the movie))


End file.
